The present invention is directed to a shopping basket which is provided for use with a wheelchair. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a shopping basket which can be attached to a wheelchair or detached from a wheelchair by an occupant who is sitting in a wheelchair.
Wheelchairs are manufactured throughout the world for use by older persons, by persons who are physically disabled, and by patients recuperating from illnesses of one type or another. The fact that a person is confined to a wheelchair for one reason or another does not eliminate the requirement and need of a handicapped person from fulfilling certain necessary everyday living requirements, such as for example conducting certain shopping ventures to take care of a number of personal needs. Being able to take care of certain personal needs without depending upon others also has its therapeutic value in providing the handicapped person with a certain amount of independence and associated emotional rehabilitation.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a shopping basket which can be utilized by a person confined to a wheelchair.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a shopping basket which can be readily secured to a wheelchair so that the shopping basket and the wheelchair can be manipulated as a unitary construction.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a shopping basket which can be readily and securely attached to a wheelchair and detached from a wheelchair with little stress on the part of the occupant of the wheelchair.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a shopping basket stand which is adapted to support a shopping basket in such a manner to enable the occupant of a wheelchair to easily manipulate the shopping basket from the shopping basket stand into an engaging position with the wheelchair and then, in turn, disengage the shopping basket from the wheelchair and return it to the shopping basket stand.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
Pursuant to the present invention, the above-objects of the present invention have been satisfied by providing a shopping basket with locking arm mechanisms which are operatively attached thereto to provide locking engagement with part of the structure of the wheelchair. Advantageously, the locking arm mechanism is spring biased so that the locking arm can be pressed into locking engagement with the wheelchair by pressing the locking arm against its spring bias. Once the locking arm mechanism is in position, it is held firmly to the wheelchair by the spring bias of this mechanism. Alternatively, the locking arm mechanism is pivotally attached to the shopping basket so that it can merely be pivoted to an open position and then fastened in a closed position around a portion of the wheelchair. The locking arm mechanism extends in substantially the horizontal direction thereby providing horizontal support to the shopping basket. To facilitate the operation of the locking mechanism a hand release element which, for example, can be a chain or a cord-like member is attached to the locking arm mechanism disposed on opposite sides of the shopping basket so that by the pulling of the hand release element toward the occupant sitting in the wheelchair, the locking arm mechanism can be released by causing it to pivot about its pivot point with the shopping basket.
The shopping basket is also provided with a vertical-type support member which extends from the bottom of the shopping basket and is adapted to attach to the wheelchair below the locking arm mechanism and directly above the tubing which supports the footplates of the wheelchair. This support member is not a locking device, as in the case of the locking arm mechanism but rather can be a horseshoe of a U-shaped element which engages the vertical member of the armrest and rests upon the flat surface of the footplate support member. The weight of the basket and the merchandise placed therein prevent the support member of the basket from disengaging and the weight of the basket also puts pressure against the locking arms when they are engaged with the wheelchair which keeps them securely in place.
To facilitate the mounting of the shopping basket to the wheelchair, a self-standing shopping basket stand is provided for holding two shopping baskets. In order to attach a shopping basket to a wheelchair the occupant in the wheelchair positions himself directly in front of the shopping basket positioned on the stand. Then the wheelchair is slowly rolled forward until the vertical support legs seat firmly on the wheelchair. The brakes of the wheelchair are then locked. The shopping basket is then grasped by the occupant of the wheelchair and pulled toward the chair until the locking arms are securely locked around the wheelchair tubing. Then the brakes of the wheelchair can be released and the wheelchair can be rolled away from the stand.
To release the shopping basket from the wheelchair, the occupant of the wheelchair is positioned directly in front of the stand. The wheelchair is then rolled slowly forward until the basket extends over the horizontal supports of the shopping basket stand. The brakes on the wheelchair are then locked. The top edge of the shopping basket is then pulled with one hand about two inches toward the occupant of the wheelchair and while still holding the basket in this position, the other hand of the occupant is utilized to pull the release chain so that the locking arms swing clear of the tubing on the wheelchair. The occupant then allows the basket to go forward onto the extended horizontal stand support and further pushes the basket onto the stand as far as it will go. The brakes of the wheelchair are then released and the wheelchair can be reversed from the stand.